Kurt Etchegary retires from hockey

St. John’s native Kurt Etchegary announced his retirement from competitive hockey on Thursday.

Québec Remparts’ captain Kurt Etchegary hasregistered 18 points (5G, 13A) in 15 playoff games for the Remparts, who will face the Rimouski Oceanic in the QMJHL final beginning next week. Etchegary, from St. John’s, is one of four Newfoundlanders on the Remparts’ roster, while the Oceanic have two players from this province.

“Due to numerous injuries, surgeries and pain in certain areas, my body is no longer able to compete at the level at which I would like it too,” he stated from his @KurtEtchegary account on Twitter. “I would like to thank all my friends, family, coaches, teammates and the fans for each team that I played for. It has been one hell of a ride, thank you all for making it so special.”

He never played in Toledo, but instead played three games for HC Benatky of the Czech Republic’s WSM Liga, that country’s second tier of pro hockey. Back in North America, Etchegary’s ECHL rights were traded from the Walleye to the Norfolk

Admirals. He played one game for the Admirals earlier this week before calling it quits.

The 21-year-old is coming off a four-year career in career in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, played entirely with the Quebec Remparts. This past season he was the team's captain, and collected a career higher 35 goals and 35 assists, and was a point-per-game player in the playoffs, with 26 in 22 post-season contests for the Memorial Cup-hosting Remparts.